A few months ago I had just sent my hardest climbing route and was stoked. Since then I’ve been playing around at that route’s rating. Naturally, I enjoyed *the hard route* for a while and then spent time working on other routes. Recently I decided it was time to revisit *the hard route*. In my post What I Learned From Climbing A Hard Route and What It Has to Do With the Rest of Life, I made this note that is relevant to share again: *Note: I am calling this *the hard route* instead of telling you the route’s rating and using that as identification. The lessons I learned from it do not hinge on the route’s rating. For some, a 5.7 is a huge feat, and for others a 5.11b is a warmup. My hope is that this post will encourage anyone pushing through something difficult, whether or not it’s a rock climbing project. For climbers, I hope this encourages you, whatever level you’re working on.*

When I first revisited *the hard route* after a break from it, I didn’t make it. Here’s what I learned from not making it up:

1. Every day can’t possibly be my strongest, most flexible day. Don’t make a big deal out of it. Just keep doing my best every single day, and this applies to all efforts in life.
2. Comparisons are usually unhelpful. If I compare myself to the rapidly progressing 20-year-olds who climb at the gym 7 days/week, I lose sight of why I do this. Which leads me to…
3. Be thankful for everything I can do. Maybe I did do that move clean only 6 weeks ago, and today it feels like the first time I’ve ever tried it, but remember Point 1, and be thankful for what I can do. Getting to climb and be a stay-at-home mom is a dream come true. Having the physical ability to climb at all is cooler than cool. Sometimes I need to stop thinking of the route’s rating and consider how remarkable it is that God has designed bodies to be able to deliver red blood cells, grip awkward handholds, and enjoy such a gratifying activity.
4. Revisit the familiar routes. Yes, new goals are great, and pushing onward and upward is very important in life, but if I stop practicing the familiar, it may not still be familiar. When we learn to read, we don’t erase the ABCs from our memory. When we move onto geometry and algebra, we don’t quit using basic arithmetic. When we learn to play a hard song, those scales and arpeggios we practice come in real handy. If I get so excited to practice a heel hook on another challenging route that I stop practicing the undercling on *the hard route*, I may not be moving onward and upward after all.
5. Keep trying, and refer to Point 1 again. Our growth, whether it’s spiritual or physical, is rarely a clean diagonal line. It usually zigs and zags, ideally in a generally upward direction, but in life this side of the Kingdom, it isn’t going to be perfect. Keep trying, in all meaningful efforts.

When I found myself unable to complete the route, I was bummed. My arms were pumped, my shins were bruised, and my fingers were stiff. Knowing that I had previously climbed the route numerous times made it much more disappointing. I didn’t want to get caught in a spiral of negative self-talk, and I didn’t want to give up.

In life, we face exhaustion and negativity, slippery ledges and skinned knuckles. It’s part of life, and very necessary to our growth. What makes it growth? That we keep trying.

How do we keep trying? We focus on the big picture. Some of life’s details could be compared to a pixel in a beautiful picture. Zoomed in, it might not be the prettiest color, and it might look awkward or even ugly. God sees the big picture. Work through the ugly pixel, and remember that it alone isn’t the finished product. Pumped muscles and bleeding fingers hurt, but we can’t let discouragement wear us so thin that we give up.

If like me, you are currently stuck on a hard route, I hope this post encourages you to keep pushing onward and upward, through all the mini valleys along the route.